Type 2 diabetes is a lifestyle disease, avoidable for vast majority of people. If you overeat, become fat, and live a sedentary life then the odds are good you'll develop the condition, or at least its precursor, metabolic syndrome. The cost of this neglect of health basics is measurable: "Middle-aged adults with diabetes are much more likely to develop age-related conditions than their counterparts who don't have diabetes, according to a new study ... Adults between 51 and 70 with diabetes developed age-related ailments like cognitive impairment, incontinence, falls, dizziness, vision impairment and pain at a faster rate than those without diabetes, the study found. ... Our findings suggest that middle age adults with diabetes start to accumulate these age-related problems. Because diabetes affects multiple organ systems, it has the potential to contribute significantly to the development of a number of issues that we associate with aging ... For adults aged 51-60 with diabetes, the odds of developing new geriatric conditions were nearly double those of their counterparts who didn't have diabetes, the researchers found. By the time people with and without diabetes reach 80, the overall effects of aging and impact of other diseases start to reduce the disparities between the two groups. ... The findings suggest that adults with diabetes should be monitored for the development of these conditions beginning at a younger age than we previously thought." Though of course your odds of making it to 80 to be compared to your healthier cohorts are not as good if you're diabetic. So don't get fat, don't stay fat, and exercise sounds like good advice.

Link: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-03/uomh-acd033111.php